Agenda item

To receive the report from the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services and the Corporate Director for Growth, Environment & Transport on progress in the service to date.

(1)       The Cabinet Committee received a report of the Cabinet Member for Commercial and Traded Services and the Director of Environment, Planning and Enforcement which contained an update on Trading Standards activities and initiatives.  Mark Rolfe, Trading Standards Manager (East), was in attendance to introduce the report and in particular referred to the following:

(2)       This report was in response to the Cabinet Committee’s request at the July meeting for an update on the roles, responsibilities and remit of the Trading Standards (TS) service.  The report included the legislative background to TS and the innovative intelligence-led work the team did such as protection from harm, animal health, rogue traders and Checkatrade. 

(3)       The report also looked at the support offered by TS to Public Health and business throughout Kent with advice and help, including the removal of rogue traders and scammers, to enable legitimate businesses to grow, develop and prosper.

(4)       In his verbal update on 22 July the Corporate Director for Growth, Environment and Transport had spoken about the seizure of 1,000 dangerous chainsaws.  These had been tested and confirmed as unsafe with the safety chain on the chainsaws being inoperable.  This left TS with the problem of what to do with 1,000 chainsaws and in an innovative move they had been given to a well-known local children’s charity to dismantle and dispose of for scrap metal.

(5)       The prosecution of a seller of counterfeit goods mentioned in the report had resulted in the seller pleading guilty and currently awaiting sentencing.  The prosecution of people storing explosives and fireworks in a dangerous manner, storage so bad it could have resulted in the loss of the whole storage facility, had also pleaded guilty and were awaiting sentencing. 

(6)       The most recent success was that, in partnership with border forces, TS had seized 32,000 sets of dangerous cosmetics with a street value of £13m.  TS were working with Kent Scientific Services to see what chemicals were in the cosmetics but one brand holder had recognised that one of the eyeliners contained paint stripper.

(7)       TS were now dealing with individuals and businesses that were deliberately engaged in fraud and organised criminality.  Dealing with money launderers required more work than it had previously because crimes were now more serious.  In relation to rogue trading and the amber KPI, Members were assured that the dashboard target would be met. 

(8)       TS recognised that the majority of businesses in Kent were legitimate.  Many businesses struggled with the technicalities of compliance with all the laws and legalities and TS invested a significant amount of time in advising businesses on this.  Much of their advice was free however some services, including food services whose stock was tested at Kent Scientific Services, were chargeable. 

(9)       Following a meeting, and a major prosecution, about live animal export Members were informed that it was a lawful trade and TS was a law enforcement service so their powers in relation to the trade were limited.  TS worked closely in partnership with the Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) and the RSPCA to ensure that when the law was broken there were consequences for offenders.  Road worthiness of vehicles was not within TS remit but was something that Kent Police and the Vehicle Inspectorate were responsible for. 

(10)    RESOLVED that the report be noted.